The Berkeley College Republicans have issued a letter to Chancellor Nicholas Dirks, challenging the sudden “security fee” that was added to MILO’s upcoming event at the college.

MILO is set to speak at UC Berkeley on February 1st as part of his ongoing “Dangerous Faggot” tour. Following the lead of many other colleges during earlier dates of the tour, UC Berkeley administrators have hit the College Republicans with an expensive and unexpected “security fee” for the event.

The College Republicans, however, are currently fighting back against the sudden security fee, and have provided Breitbart News with a copy of the letter that was sent to UC Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks.

“Dear Chancellor Dirks,” wrote the College Republicans in their letter. “On behalf of the Berkeley College Republicans (“BCR”), we write in response to the University’s arbitrary and excessive, estimated $6,370 security fee demand for the Milo Yiannopoulos event in Pauley Ballroom on February 1st. In effect, the University is restricting BCR’s constitutional rights to free expression on campus by charging fees for unsolicited security that amount to a tax on a “controversial” speaker. We are writing to request that this fee be waived in its entirety. The United States Supreme Court has held that “state colleges and universities are not enclaves immune from the sweep of the First Amendment.” Healy v. James, 408 U.S. 169, 180 (1972).”

“Upon information and belief, the security fee of this amount was issued by the administration as a de facto tax on the BCR’s right to invite speakers to campus,” they continued. “It is apparent that the $6,370-tax is specifically designed to prevent the BCR from successfully bringing Milo Yiannopoulos to the University. There can be no serious argument that a student group, like the BCR, can reasonably be expected to pay such a fee. In essence, the fee places an undue burden on the BCR’s ability to invite conservative speakers to campus, such as Mr. Yiannopoulos, and thus, is violative of the U.S. Constitution. To the best of BCR’s knowledge, the University has not imposed similar fees on other events.”

“The BCR will not hesitate to seek all forms of relief available to it under the law, including injunctive relief in court, if the asserted fee is not eliminated in its entirety,” concluded the letter. “The BCR is confident that you will assist it in resolving this matter amicably, and to the satisfaction of all parties involved. Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to rectifying this matter.”

Though the professors claimed to support freedom of speech and “open debate” in their letter, they declared MILO to be an exception, and called upon Chancellor Dirks to ban him from campus.

**UPDATE**

Berkeley Assistant Vice-Chancellor Dan Mogulof contacted Breitbart to “stress and reiterate that the security estimates for this event were compiled not by the campus administration, but by sworn officers—law enforcement professionals——in the University of California Police Department based on neutral, objective criteria. Just like every other student-hosted event.”